Re: I think I might want a new cab. Suggestions?
I have a Mesa Stiletto head (50/100 watt Marshall type...)
I currently play through an MX212 Marshall cab - the cheapest of all Marshall cabs. Personally, I think it sounds freaking great. That said...what would you suggest?
Some considerations:
1. I DO NOT WANT a full stack
2. I am not sure that I want a half stack - but convince me. I prefer slant.
3. If I get a 2x12 it could be stacked for 2 x 2x12.
4. I like 2x12 portability. More than loud enough
5. Remember - I do love me some Marshall sounds. However - Mesa makes some good stuff. Also Peavey, Randall, etc...open to anything.
What might you suggest?
This is a very puzzling post, from top to bottom. I think if we had some more information we could provide greater advice, and you have given us some basic data to work with, but it seems you've left out some key ideas that would really help the experts here (and I don't claim to be one of them) help you get the right thing you need.
My questions:
1. You say of your current Marshall MX212 cabinet that "I think it sounds freaking great". Why do you want another cabinet in that case? Different sound? Experimentation? Something bigger for more air movement? Something smaller for ease of moving?
2. You mention that the Marshall MX212 is "the cheapest of all Marshall cabs". I googled up a price of $349 for a new one at Sweetwater, that's the MX212a "60-watt 2x12" Vertical Slant Extension Cabinet". Do you have a price range for your new cab?
3. You say in your bullet #1 "I DO NOT WANT a full stack". Not sure exactly what you mean by this. When I hear full stack I think of the classic setup of a two 4x12 cabs, probably a regular and a slant. From where you are to get that
you'd have to buy two new cabinets. Usually people who have full stacks these days because they just have to have a full stack, possibly they play in loud death metal bands where it's part of the total experience.
4. You say "I do love me some Marshall sounds". This is odd because you have a Mesa Stiletto head on top of your Marshall 2x12. I think most people would agree that the Marshall sound comes some huge percent (80%) from the head. For example, a Marshall JCM 800 running a Mesa 4x12 cab is going to sound pretty close to a Marshall JCM 800 head on a similar style Marshall cab. If they have the same speakers in them you are at 90% or something.
5. You ask: If I get another 2x12 could it be stacked for two 2x12. Yes, but you also say you like slant cabs and you can't put a slant cab on a slant cab. You also say you like portability and don't like full stacks.
A three piece setup with a full (mini) stack of 2x12 cabs is not particularly portable, though I guess no individual piece is too big or heavy and it could probably fit in a car, unlike the 4x12 which prefers to travel in vans, SUVs or trucks.
OK, so those are my questions and comments. Now that I've made clear that there are parts of your question I don't get and seem contradictory I'll go ahead and try to answer it, telling you what I'm assuming.
Choice one: A 4x12 slant cab.
I wasn't familiar with your amp so I had to go look it up and it's described as: "Our Stiletto® amplifiers mark Mesa®’s dedication to the legendary power behind heavy rock’s British ancestry. Razor sharp and finely honed, the Stiletto is mean enough to hang with a wall of Rectos® and slice right through the mix with a trademark new sound." My sense is that people looking to play classic rock covers and British blues-rock don't buy high-gane Mesa amps.
I think you should go ahead and
get the 4x12 as it's the more or less "standard" cab for a amp of that type, and is also the standard cab used in a lot of metal bands. Half stacks are still very popular because they work in average sized clubs, particularly if you have a master volume amp. They are a bit of a pain to move, but not that much more than a big 2x12 like yours. You can always put wheels on them, too.
Choice One A: As far as *which* 4x12, well if you were going to pick the perfect cab to match your Mesa Stilletto head I would
go with the Mesa 4x12 cab. In looking at their offerings they have the
4x12 Road King Slant. This is a very cool cab because it is basically two cabs in one and so you could probably duplicate your existing setup (a close 2x12) with it, or get the full 4x12 sound or do the one-side-open and explore some new tonality. People also really like the Mesa "oversize" 4x12, so that would be another good choice.
In my opinion "open or closed back" is the biggest factor in cabinet design. A 2x12 closed cab is going to sound more like a 4x12 closed cab than it will sound like a 2x12 open cab. For your style of amp (and I'm assuming music) the closed cab is the standard, but you might find with the Mesa Road King that there is something nice about open-backs, if not I think you just slap the back on and you have something that performs pretty much like a "normal" 4x12.
Choice One B: A Marshall 4x12 cab. These are easy to find used, in all sorts of conditions from pristine to beat-to-death-by-the-Ramones. I'd stick with a good plywood one, for durability and tone. The classic 1960A 4x12 slant cab is described by Marshall as "The 1960A is the world’s best selling 4 x 12″ speaker cabinet, with a heritage that stretches back to the early 1960s. This authentic 4 x 12″ cabinet design, which has changed little since 1962, is the touchstone for all other angled 4 x 12″ cabs."
So, it's like a check box you'll have checked off. Also, if you really like Marshall sound, as you say, then perhaps there is a Marshall head in your future. The Mesa Head / Marshall Cab is totally classic in it's own way. A lot of people think the stock speakers in those are kinda crappy. They do handle a lot of power (rated for 300 Watts) and if you are playing metal might be a good choice. Marshall makes a couple other 1960a variations: the
1960ax has a little more "classic" look with the salt & pepper grill cloth and has more vintage-style speakers. It's rated for only 100 Watts, it would be a good choice if you are thinking of getting a lower wattage Marshall amp, possibly. Marshall describes these as: "The 100 Watt 1960AX is loaded with Celestion G12M-25 Greenbacks, which have their origins back in the 1960s, and are voiced with additional mid-range punch. They produce a sound that is smooth and warm with detailed highs. The speakers lower headroom causes the sound to break up gently; it is this saturation that gives the 1960AX its excellent tonal characteristics, adding depth to overdrive, especially at higher volumes. The chequered ’70s grill cloth gives the 1960AX a cool retro look."
Finally they have a "hand wired" 1960, the
1960AHW (Apparently orangutans wire all other Marshall cabs? This means something in amps, but it seems meaningless in cabs, which only have a few wires in them to start with. But I digress.) The "hand-wired" is sort of the Marshall name for top of the line heads that use more discrete components and fewer PCB boards, so presumably this is their best quality cab to go with their high end repo amps. Marshall says: "The 1960AWH captures the spirit of the ’60s. Wired by hand, this 120 Watt heritage cab matches perfectly with the Handwired 1959HW head. It’s loaded with re-issue Celestion G12H-30 speakers. The 1960AWH and 1960BWH are faithful recreations of the cabs that were an integral part of that legendary ’60s Marshall sound." Unless you are planning on acquiring a Plexi head, this seems unnecessary.
Choice One C: Guys who are into 4x12's collect them. I've got friends who have 4 or 5 of the things. (and park their cars in the driveway). You can read threads about them here all day long. Assuming you gig with it: Buy a cheap
beat-up but well-made one at the pawn-shop/music store and use the money you spent to buy some premium speakers. Big speaker cabs get beat up being loaded into vans, carried through doors and pushed around on stage, so you save some grief this way.
Choice Two: Getting the
Marshall 2x12 Straight that matches your slant would be my second choice. You get the same #of speakers as in the above, and when you want to use them all you get the "stack effect" on a smaller scale.
Choice Three: I like 4x10's, at least I love my Fender Bassman. SO, maybe look at the old
Marshall 1965, which was a slightly scaled down slant cab with 4 10's in it.
Choice Four: Buy
something open backed. (The Mesa I picked has this as an option). If you want to experience other sounds how about a simple 1x12 open backed extension cab. I suspect your amp will sound very different through it. Something like this
Mojotone cab is only $200. And with only 1 speaker it's ideal for messing around and swapping out different speakers to get different sounds.
OK: Those are my thoughts.
Happy Shopping!
